Chapter 43: Time for a Celebration

× Weeks later ×

"Just come back home, hon. You don't need that job. It's safer here. For you. For us."

"I know, Mom." Jessi sighed and stood by the door, the worry and impatience in her mother's frail voice already defeating her stubborn logic.

Considering what happened to her, her recent hospitalization, and the growing number of positive cases here in California, leaving Los Angeles to live the small-town life again sounded much smarter. Especially if she wanted to make it to her next birthday.

The treatment worked after a week of her being strictly confined in the hospital, but it didn't mean she was already out of the woods. Reports of reinfection were spreading all over the news, which meant her full recovery from the dreaded viral disease did not guarantee immunity from another reinfection.

Worse: there were no approved vaccines available yet. Meaning, controlling the contagious virus from spreading throughout the globe seemed quite an impossible task. For now.

The global total number of cases just reached half a million last night. Naturally, her parents wanted her home and out of California as soon as possible. They were just worried about their only child. "You already told your boss you're resigning? You submitted the letter?"

"Yeah." Jessi glanced out the window to scan the busy street below. No sign of him yet. She frowned and gripped her phone, her chest and stomach feeling funny. Her boss just sent her a new text saying he was dropping by. She had no clue why.

"And? What'd he say?" Her mom's muted tone on the other line denoted concern again.

"Tried to offer me a raise." Jessi sighed to herself again. "I told Joss I would come back in a year if he really needs me to, and if the new guy doesn't deliver. We're already training my replacement."

Well, Jenson signed off her resignation letter weeks ago, but he still didn't want her to leave so soon, like he said the last time they got to talk about the whole thing.

"Then you'll go home? When's the exact date, hon? We'll pick you up."

"In two or three weeks. I'll text you and Dad the date. I'll look at ticket prices tonight."

"Did your boss help you pay off the medical bills?"

"Yeah." Jessi looked out the window again. Jenson's black pickup truck just parked on the other side of the street. Her apartment unit was only two floors up. "He's been real helpful. Made sure the insurance covered most of the bill. He actually paid for the rest, since I got sick at work."

"Glad to hear. Sounds like a really nice guy."

"He is," was her hushed reply to her mom over the phone. Jessi palmed her forehead as she paced by the window. "Talk soon, Ma. Gotta go somewhere. Grocery run."

"Okay. Wear a mask and face shield, hon."

"Back at you. Tell Dad I'll be home soon. Bye."

× 7:28 PM ×

He stood beside his truck and waited for her on the side of the street. Masked up, as per usual.

At first she thought the masking was for disguising himself in public. That he kinda hated being hounded by paparazzi whenever he was out and about. But when Jenson didn't get sick despite spending three days alone with her, she realized he was just being careful. And it evidently paid off.

"Hi," Jessi greeted the sweatshirt and jeans-clad guy leaning against the driver's side of the shiny pickup truck. Despite the lack of lighting, she immediately noticed that he got a haircut.

It just drew her attention straight to his beautiful brows and deep-set eyes. They watched her like a hawk, as though watching her every move just fascinated him. "You got plans tonight?"

"What plans?"

He glanced down at her striped shirt dress and sneakers. "You goin' somewhere? Hot date?" He pulled down his mask to reveal a smirk after she stepped closer to him. They stood next to the passenger side now, hiding under a tall tree on the dim sidewalk.

"No. Just a quick grocery run." Did she look like she was going on a date? She didn't even bother to put on face powder or blow-dry her hair. What's the point? She'd be wearing a mask the entire time, and she just needed to buy some food for herself.

"I'll drive you there."

She looked at the bright red signage beside the biggest lamppost and lifted her arm. "The store's right there." She smiled to herself.

Jenson looked behind to check out what she was pointing to in the corner. "Oh." He wore his mask again upon grinning at her. "Just gonna pick up groceries?"

"Yeah. Why? Where you headed?"

"At the guys' favorite bar. Just half an hour away."

"Bar? Why? Whose birthday is it today?"

"Not a birthday. Just a small thank-you party." Jenson glanced at his phone screen. "Kara and Darren will pop up any minute now."

"Oh. The party," she muttered with a faint nod. It was the simple celebration the cast and showrunners had planned months ago to celebrate the latest season's much-awaited release.

"You gonna do your errands first or..."

She stood still and eyed him. Did he expect her to just hop in and accompany him to the bar? She checked out her outfit again and made a face. "What time's the party starting?"

"Already did."

Oh. So he was already running late. "Do I have to be there?"

"What?" His brows creased almost instantly. "Come on..."

"Most of them heard I just got out of the hospital." Jessi itched her forehead. Honestly, she'd rather stay indoors all weekend than feel like a walking plague-bearer in a party she didn't really want to attend.

Parties with complete strangers and some acquaintances never interested her, anyway. Much less being thrust straight into the Hollywood gossip mill. Just because she showed up at an exclusive party with the show's leading man slash director-producer.

"You're all good now. Besides, everyone's gonna be wearing masks." Jenson shrugged casually, his tone almost too sure. "For the most part."

Oh jeez... She didn't like that he sounded quite desperate to convince her to come to the party, just to celebrate the show's success with him, his co-stars, and their colleagues. Maybe he just wanted to hang out with her because she'd been keeping her distance lately?

Well, for one, she didn't want Charmaine and other people to think Jenson was being unfaithful and screwing around with his younger assistant. Although he and Darren weren't really household-names famous yet, Jenson didn't need that kind of drama or notoriety.

A juicy scandal just to boost ratings wasn't his style. He was far from the type to go for a cheap publicity stunt just to sell their TV show to a bigger audience. He was a decent, hardworking guy, serious about his career, and respected by his peers.

Just some of the reasons why she loved working for him. But the public certainly need not know about their friendship besides their work relationship. It was a non-issue. And she wanted to keep it that way till she left California.

"Catch up with you guys later." Jessi backed away and glanced behind to check the bystanders in the area. No creepy guys with big, flashing cameras yet. Thank heavens. "Gotta change first."

"Okay. I'll wait."

Ugh... No way was he letting her pass up his invitation. "No. I'll get a cab. Just text me the location."

Instead of agreeing, Jenson took a step forward to stand much closer to her. Then he just stared into her eyes with furrowed brows, with his mask hiding a deep scowl perhaps. The front of his boot was almost touching the tip of her shoe, and the look in his eyes told her he wanted to start a long, serious talk with her now.

"What?" She pulled away, her heart rate probably increasing by the second.

The guy looked like he wanted a confrontation right here. Right now. Jenson sighed shortly when she just stared back into his attentive eyes. "Did she talk to you or something?"

"Who?"

"Charm. She say something? Is she harassing you?"

"No. She didn't," Jessi murmured.

Well, a few hateful comments on some of her modeling photos online didn't really count as outright harassment. Right? It wasn't exactly Charmaine who left the comments, though.

But a strong gut feeling told her it was none other than Charm, his jealous fiancée. Clearly Jenson knew nothing about it yet. He scratched the back of his head and let out a long sigh after an awkward moment. "Did she contact you? Or said something stupid again?"

"She didn't." Jessi swallowed the chunk of anxiety and trepidation stuck in her throat. When he kept standing too close with his nose inches away from hers, her breathing hastened. She just caught a whiff of Charmaine's perfume on his shirt.

Oh great. So the woman was back in town. Why was he here then? Why invite her to the party instead of his fiancée? Or maybe Charmaine was already at the bar.

"Then why're you avoiding me?"

"I'm not." Jessi sighed. She looked away from his heedful gaze just to stop her heart from pounding harder in her rib cage.

"Don't lie to my face, Jess." Jenson scoffed, glanced sideward, and shook his head weakly. "You know you're no good at it."

Ugh! What the heck? Were they having an argument now?

She squinted at his wrinkled brows and narrowed eyes, her brain struggling to come up with a reply that didn't sound so defensive. "I'm not. I just...don't wanna be seen with you in public, hanging out with you outside of work," she explained in a calmer tone. "She probably hates me already."

What's even worse? His colleagues thinking Jenson was two-timing.

"Shit." He pulled away and turned his back to her. Without looking her in the eyes, he opened the door to the backseat of his pickup truck. "Get in. We need to talk."

"About what?" She took another step backwards instead of following his command.

He turned to look her dead in the eye again. "Please."